European wood manufacturers are facing growing pressure from weak demand, rising costs and an increasingly complex regulatory environment. Industry representatives are seeking closer cooperation as uncertainty over EU legislation adds to the challenges confronting timber companies across the continent.<\/p>\n
Wood industry associations from seven European countries are preparing a joint letter to the European Commission over unresolved implementation issues surrounding the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Representatives from Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic met in Vienna to coordinate their positions on the legislation and discuss the difficult economic conditions facing European timber manufacturers.<\/p>\n
The meeting, hosted by the Austrian Wood Industry Association, took place on October 13, 2026. Alongside the EUDR, discussions covered weak construction demand, high operating costs, EU packaging legislation and opportunities to expand timber construction, particularly through the industrial renovation of existing buildings.<\/p>\n
Wood industry associations seek common position on EUDR<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation was one of the main subjects discussed in Vienna, with industry representatives identifying outstanding questions and practical difficulties facing wood-processing companies.<\/p>\n The associations agreed to consolidate their concerns in a joint letter to the European Commission. The Austrian Wood Industry Association did not disclose the specific demands that will be included in the document.<\/p>\n The initiative continues cooperation between European wood industry organisations that have already presented common positions on the EUDR to Brussels in recent years.<\/p>\n The regulation requires companies trading covered timber and wood products to comply with rules intended to prevent deforestation and forest degradation. Its implementation has raised concerns within the industry over documentation requirements, supply-chain information and the administrative work involved in demonstrating compliance.<\/p>\n For European timber companies, the discussions come at a time when businesses are dealing with weak markets and elevated operating costs. Industry representatives are seeking greater clarity on how the regulation will work in practice, particularly for companies operating across several EU countries.<\/p>\n Packaging rules and carbon accounting also under discussion<\/strong><\/p>\n The meeting also addressed the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), with participants examining the practical implications of its requirements for affected manufacturers.<\/p>\n Wood packaging producers and companies using timber-based packaging will need to adapt to the regulation's provisions, adding another area of compliance for businesses already preparing for the EUDR.<\/p>\n Another subject was the forthcoming review of the EU Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) Regulation.<\/p>\n The associations discussed the accounting of carbon stored in forests and wood products, as well as the importance of maintaining a sustainable supply of raw materials for European wood-processing industries.<\/p>\n Access to timber remains a central concern for manufacturers, particularly as European forest and climate policies influence harvesting conditions and future wood availability.<\/p>\n Weak construction demand continues to affect European wood manufacturers<\/strong><\/p>\n Representatives also exchanged assessments of economic conditions in their respective countries.<\/p>\n According to the Austrian Wood Industry Association, weak construction activity, high costs and uncertainty in international markets continue to shape the operating environment for many European wood manufacturers.<\/p>\n The slowdown in construction has affected demand for sawn timber and other wood products, while producers continue to face pressure from operating expenses and changing market conditions.<\/p>\n The discussions highlighted the importance of cooperation between national industry organisations, particularly when European legislation affects manufacturers and supply chains across several countries.<\/p>\n Prefabricated timber renovation could open new markets<\/strong><\/p>\n Beyond regulatory concerns, the Vienna meeting examined opportunities for timber construction, particularly in the energy-efficient renovation of existing buildings.<\/p>\n Wood construction specialist Siegfried Kohler presented the potential of industrially prefabricated timber fa\u00e7ade and roof elements to accelerate renovation projects.<\/p>\n Factory-produced components can reduce construction time and disruption to residents while allowing building elements to be manufactured under controlled conditions.<\/p>\n Kohler highlighted a residential renovation project by GEWOBAU in Erlangen, Germany, where energy-efficiency improvements were combined with prefabricated construction and additional housing created through rooftop extensions.<\/p>\n The approach could generate demand for timber components and engineered wood products as European countries seek to renovate ageing residential buildings and improve energy efficiency.<\/p>\n However, expanding this market will require closer cooperation between wood manufacturers, construction companies and designers, alongside efficient planning and production processes.<\/p>\n The associations also discussed the European Construction Products Regulation (CPR) and technical standardisation, both of which influence the use of timber products in construction.<\/p>\n European wood industry seeks stronger coordination<\/strong><\/p>\n The Vienna meeting brought together representatives from seven countries whose wood-processing industries face many of the same economic and regulatory challenges.<\/p>\n The participating organisations have cooperated on European legislation in recent years, particularly on the EUDR, and intend to continue coordinating their positions.<\/p>\n The planned letter to the European Commission will be the next step in that cooperation, as the industry seeks clarification on the practical implementation of deforestation rules.<\/p>\n The Austrian Wood Industry Association said the meeting also provided an opportunity to strengthen existing partnerships and identify priorities for further cooperation on timber supply, climate policy and wood construction.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" European wood manufacturers are facing growing pressure from weak demand, rising costs and an increasingly complex regulatory environment.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":100310,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5204],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n